How to write the best Real Estate ads – Tips from a professional

Want to know how to write the best Real Estate ads?

Getting results from your property marketing can be challenging at times. Many fledgling agents are thrown in at the deep end, told to write real estate ads – often without any prior experience and sometimes using questionable English.

Writing ad copy is such an important part of the job of a salesperson (or Personal Assistant), yet there are many who are not confident in their ability to accurately draw potential buyers through their way with words. Following are some great tips from a professional property copywriter with more than 20 years of Real Estate marketing experience.

Ask questions before you start

Rather than simply filling in the specifications of the home on the listing form, think about what a buyer may be looking for in the home. Before you write your ad, spend some time asking questions so that you have as much information about the property as you can gather. You may want to put together a sheet of questions that you take to each property inspection.

Interview the vendor

They know their home better than anyone else. Ask them so or all of the following questions (where appropriate):

What attracted you to the property when you bought it?

Can you give me a list of the things you love about living here?

What are your best memories in this home?

Why are you selling?

Have you made any improvements to the property? If so, what and when? Cost?

What do you see as the main selling points of the property?

Did you have any plans for the property and have they been approved?

What do you know about any future developments planned for the area?

While this can take some time to do, all the information you gather can help you with marketing the property, especially in writing the advertising materials and talking to prospective purchasers.

Talk to potential buyers

Now I realise that you’ll only be talking to potential buyers for this new listing after you’ve written the advertising material. When I say “talk to potential buyers”, I’m referring to buyers in general – at other nearby properties you may have Open for Inspection or you may be showing another property to.

Most buyers have done their homework on the area and are looking for a specific type of home. You could ask them:

What attracts you to this area?

What are you looking for in a home?

When two properties have the same no. of bedrooms and bathrooms, what do you think makes one better than the other?

How do you assess which properties are good value for money?

The purpose of asking these questions, and listening to the answers, is to tap into the buyer’s mindset and then try to write advertising copy which will appeal to their wants and needs.

Get to know the area you work in

Talk to the locals – shop owners are often a mine of information about what’s happening in the area. Ask them what’s going on.

Stay up-to-date with new developments in the area – talk to your local Council about proposed and approved developments. Most information is available for public access and comment.

Know the actual distance from the property to: All locals schools – primary, secondary, public & private, local shops, larger shopping centres, bus stops, train stations, recreational facilities such as parks, waterways and boat ramps, access to major arterial roads, hospitals and healthcare facilities, and any other services which buyers have on their wish list. Google maps is a great tool for this.